KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — Spending the holidays alone can only result in nothing but a melancholic void, but things were different for Mitski Miyawaki.

It was the inspiration behind one of the indie rock singer’s most popular singles to date after spending Christmas on her own in Kuala Lumpur.

The track, Nobody, a catchy disco ballad, has racked up more than 10 million plays on Spotify.

It’s a testament to Mitski’s ability to tap into universal emotions, and Malaysian fans of the singer-songwriter were ecstatic to hear her perform the song last Monday in the very city that inspired it.

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The Japanese-American musician had spent part of her childhood in Malaysia and later returned to Kuala Lumpur as an adult to spend some time off in between tours.

After local indie folk rock band Shuuna warmed up the crowd at The Bee, Publika with their songs, it was finally Mitski’s turn to take over.

She kicked off her set in Kuala Lumpur with the hard-hitting track Remember My Name, a song with jagged guitars and lyrics that deal with the longing to be more than just a fleeting memory to someone.

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A punk-rock fan favourite from her previous album Puberty 2 titled Your Best American Girl also made its way onto the setlist along with older hits like I Don’t Smoke from Bury Me At Makeout Creek.

Mitski embellished her performance with powerful vocals and dramatic choreography.
Mitski embellished her performance with powerful vocals and dramatic choreography.

In between songs, she candidly recalled days she spent as a child in Kuala Lumpur and how much familiar neighbourhoods have changed since she left.

“Bangsar looks really different now. Is that where you guys all go to party?”

“I guess I was still a child then and it’s not like my mother would’ve been like ‘let’s go to the club’,” she joked.

The show marked a sweet homecoming for the 28-year-old who has garnered critical acclaim from fans and music critics alike for her latest album Be The Cowboy.

The record ranked number one on Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, and Vulture’s year-end review of 2018 in music and placed third on Time Magazine’s 10 Best Albums of 2018 list.

Iggy Pop and Lorde count themselves as fans of Mitski’s zany garage rock sound, with Iggy describing her on a BBC 6 Music show as “the most advanced American songwriter that (he) knows” and Lorde inviting her to be the opening act on her 2018 North American tour.

The singer recently wrapped up several sold-out shows in North America and Australia and is now smack dab in the middle of her Asian tour.

As she stood onstage, she told the audience about how Nobody was written when she was living solo in an apartment near the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

“It was during the Christmas holidays and I was very lonely. I didn’t have any instruments with me, so I walked to Suria KLCC and bought a toy piano from Toys ‘R’ Us.

“I wrote Nobody on a toy piano with two octaves on it, so that song is for you,” she said as a crowd of more than 300 people cheered her on.

Mitski certainly managed to turn a painful situation around as the audience danced and sang along to the infectious lyrics of her song, where she croons, “And I know no one will save me, I just need someone to kiss / Give me one good honest kiss and I’ll be alright.”

Mitski and her bandmates pose outside The Bee, Publika.
Mitski and her bandmates pose outside The Bee, Publika.

While Mitski’s haunting vocals shone through with each song, the most unique aspect of her performance was her dancing.

She moved onstage with the poise and grace of a ballerina, executing carefully choreographed movements that were simple but direct when it came to expressing the emotional valence of each track.

Even as she threw herself on the ground and headbanged to the beat of her more heart pumping tracks, there was still an element of precision within her madness, with Mitski in complete control and the audience going absolutely wild for it.

She happily obliged chants for an encore and closed off the night with the kooky track Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart from her 2013 album Retired from Sad, New Career in Business.

Mitski’s Kuala Lumpur gig was organised by U Mobile as part of their Unlimited Grooves initiative with Upfront.